Dear walking book clubbers,
Here we are, just before a magical minute’s silence for the Queen. It was amazing to take a moment and listen to the Heath - church bells ringing in the distance, birds in the trees - without our noisy nattering, it almost felt as though we’d travelled back in time.
Thanks to the many of you who came yesterday to discuss Mrs Palfrey at the Claremont by Elizabeth Taylor, a poignant book about the surprising relationship that forms between an elderly widow and a young aspiring writer. Funny and sad. Sadder, somehow, in the wake of Covid and the Queen, and of course remembering dear walking book clubber Carrie, who loved this book.
If you would like to discover more about Mrs Palfrey at the Claremont, please do come along to our Zoom this evening, 8-8.40pm. While most of us will have read the book and be contributing to the discussion, it is a welcome place for those members who may not have quite got round to reading it despite best intentions. I promise not to pick on anyone who doesn’t want to contribute! Pour yourself a glass of something, and tune in; occasionally members bring their knitting…
Ideally, please book in via Eventbrite using this button:
But you are also welcome just to show up at 8pm, using these details:
Zoom link HERE Meeting ID: 796 0467 6772 Passcode: Taylor
What’s next this September?
Look out next week for a newsletter containing my webcast about Mrs Palfrey at the Claremont, and some more links relating to our discussion.
You’re in for a surprise new feature in the following week’s newsletter. No spoilers here, but it is something to do with walking…
Then, on Friday 30th , you’ll receive an invitation to our Live Discussion Thread about Mrs P and what else we’ve been reading this month, at 2-2.30pm.
Tickets for October - By the Sea by Abdulrazak Gurnah - are now on sale:
Saleh Omar arrives at Gatwick Airport, seeking asylum from Zanzibar, having left his entire life behind. When he meets a figure from his past, their intertwined stories gradually unravel, revealing love and betrayal, seduction and possession ... Abdulrazak Gurnah, who won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2021, entrances with his elegant telling of Saleh Omar's past - and his secrets - in this beautiful, quietly gripping novel.
On the Heath: Sunday 16th October, 11.30-1pm, setting off from Daunt Books Hampstead, 51 South End Road, NW3 2QB
On Zoom: Monday 17th October, 8-8.40pm
Live Discussion Thread: Friday 28th October, 2-2.30pm
Buy By the Sea from Daunt Books HERE and receive 10% off using the code WBC at checkout, or just tell them you’re in the group if you’re buying it in the shop.
Hope to see you this evening,
Emily